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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Posts
    106

    Path Pilot Hub

    Quick back story, I bought my 440 about 3-4 months ago. I just got the wireless and drop box setup. I've played a bit with the PathPilot hub and I hear from folks (read posts) about how they use it to set up new tools, setup programs...kind of an extension of their P.P controller. Being real honest here, I can't figure out how to do these things. What am I missing? It just really seems my online PP hub and my real PP controllers don't really have much in common. My tools aren't even in the hub. Does anyone care to point me what I'm missing here? I'd love it if I could do some of my shop work on the couch eating bon bons, but sadly I have to schumk it like a low life standing in the garage working like a cave man.
    How do I get the Hub to mirror my real setup?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Posts
    1788

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    Hub only has a dozen or so tools defined in the tool table. I usually just ignore offsets when I'm testing something or define one or two tools that I am using. You could easily prepare a file to setup the tool table using G10 L1 commands. I suspect that you can backup your machine using ADMIN SETTINGS BACKUP, upload the file to the Hub and restore the settings although I haven't tried it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Posts
    106

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    You're saying do a backup on controller, open that saved file on the hub? I'll have to ptz around with it more seemed like the hub only opened g-code but I'm not nearly 100% on the comment.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    2151

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    I dont use drop box and not real clear to me why people do!
    Guessing people send each other files over internet or something.
    I just drag and drop files from workstation to the PP controller on network in file manager! "no drop box" Not clear to me how secure drop box is also!
    I dont do much conversational program development and that is what I would guess the hub is for. I do most everything in cad/cam and simulate results.
    Go to mill or router load code, position stock, set x,y,z and run! Then I tend to set down and eat bon bons in the shop while code runs. Stopping to change tools and or flip part sides.

    Wish I could disable PP hub completely and not deal with it on the PP file manager screen tab.
    And I can only hope the drop box extension is safe and secure when not used or configured on PP controller.
    My only concern is I see network traffic that looks strange coming from both my controllers.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Posts
    1788

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    Quote Originally Posted by Tigster View Post
    You're saying do a backup on controller, open that saved file on the hub? I'll have to ptz around with it more seemed like the hub only opened g-code but I'm not nearly 100% on the comment.
    I just uploaded the ZIP created by ADMIN SETTINGS BACKUP and restored it using ADMIN SETTINGS RESTORE on the Hub virtual PP. I haven't done any real testing but the tool table on Hub now matches the table on my 770.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Posts
    106

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    @mountaindew I was going from in the house working on my computer to a USB, to my Tormach, found I made a mistake (maybe saved on tool path instead of the whole program), go back in the house, save again...etc. Its just nice to have a folder where I drop stuff and magically it's on my controller. Dropbox or network file manager doesn't make a difference to me, this was just easy for me to setup. I never use the conversational programming either. I really can't see any useful application...it's just so basic. Many people would argue that, but they probably have a much better handle on it. Maybe that is the only purpose for the HUB...working on conversational, which I will find out quickly, won't be worth much to me.I'm conctantly changing and adding tooling, just to setup the tools offset is worth something.
    @kstrauss that's great! I'm not 100% sure what the PP hub access is for as far as my needs are, but I'll never discover it unless I have it setup correctly. I know the Dropbox access has been a Godsend so I have high hopes. I'll do as you did today and see what shakes loose.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Posts
    1788

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    Quote Originally Posted by mountaindew View Post
    I dont do much conversational program development and that is what I would guess the hub is for.
    If you use CAM I see little use for Hub. I occasionally hand code stuff to make something that I can't figure out how to do with my CAM software. I use Hub to syntax check and then test run my code while sitting in a comfortable chair and sipping a glass of wine. No need to warm the shop, no possibility of injury and no fear of a crash that breaks a tool.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Posts
    106

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    Now that I pay for a license for F360 to break tools, I have no need for the conversational side of PP, so maybe the HUB is mainly useless. I do feel adding changing tools will be handy.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Posts
    1788

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    I find some of the conversational capabilities -- drilling and thread milling -- useful for very simple one-off jobs. I don't understand why one would use Hub for conversational stuff but it is useful for testing hand crafted gcode after I've shutdown the shop at night.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    62

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    Go to the Offset tab at your machine. You can export your tool table there, writes a .csv file I believe. This can be dumped to your hub cloud drive from the file tab. I use it all the time for troubleshooting in our home, then out to the shop to actually run the routine.

    At the house computer, I import the tool table from the hub virtual drive. I used to run back and forth with a USB drive, but now just use the hub.

    Bruce

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Posts
    106

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    Hey Bruce, good to see you over here from HM. If you read this thread there is some talk as to the purpose of the HUB when you use a CAM software. I know tools would be good o have setup and maintained. IS there anything in particular you use it for other than this? I'm pretty sure you use F360?

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    2151

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    I was thinking drop box was a subscription service and just another place to share data. Guess I'm more comfortable keeping my files on my network only. That said it must be useful or they would not add it to the pp feature list. And I did the USB stick for years aka sneaker net and that no fun either. I cam up models and take screen clips of the fixture setups for each side of part and then copy code and screen clips to pp control. Then at control I load code and setup pics to review how to position stock. Also PP allows the setup pictures to be linked in code also but I dont use that feature much. Makes complex setups easy to follow weeks after cam setup.

    my pp tool data bases are almost static. I have 60 or so tools on mill and about 30 on router. I use sprutcam and it has matching databases and also a number of master lists to add tools from. I have all preset tool heights on mill and router only uses tool number height is set with ets during program run.
    All pretty straightforward to use. I do use conversation for stock prep now and then but for most part without good cad/cam my cnc tools are boat anchors.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Posts
    106

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    Interesting about the setup pics, that would be handy as it sometimes is a couple weeks before I actually that the work to the mill. I'll have to look into how to do this, maybe save a screen shot within the same folder? How it pulls up is the tough part. Is there an online manual to the latest version of PP? I'll go hit up Tormach and see if I can find anything. I feel like its an iPhone, does cool stuff that either you fall backwards into finding out that it exists or word of mouth.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    2151

    Re: Path Pilot Hub

    I tend to setup and keep a directory folder for each project on both cad/cam computer and PP control. I copy all the tap and jpg setup files to pp folder.
    Then at pp control I double click on setup files as required and they pop up in a window on PP to look at. Pretty simple and fast to setup and use. I name the files projectnameg54, projectnamg55 and so on. I even clip one that shows stock dimensions so I know exactly how to prep material . Not real hard to link the pictures into g code file by hand edit. I think its detailed in the manual somewhere. And this would be great to include in code if you have projects that you do often. I do way to many projects to include this detail for the most part. Its on my todo list to setup everything in a sprutcam template but to date I have not done it.
    simple example of my clips that I use at PP control!
    Attachment 450932
    Attachment 450934
    Attachment 450936
    These could be linked to display in gcode file when finished or starting each side of a part.
    Note: I do complete parts including all sides and offsets in one cam file.
    big draw back of all this is over time you will end up with thousands of files to manage.
    Added note I also use a small windows surface tablet in shop to review these same jpg setup clips on also. Mostly to review while control is busy to get next part stock setup

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    62
    Quote Originally Posted by Tigster View Post
    Hey Bruce, good to see you over here from HM. If you read this thread there is some talk as to the purpose of the HUB when you use a CAM software. I know tools would be good o have setup and maintained. IS there anything in particular you use it for other than this? I'm pretty sure you use F360?
    I'm still a g-code programmer with some conversational thrown in. I write the g-code in either Notepad or PP's g-edit. I store the routines in folders on our home computer and upload them to the PP hub to debug in virtual PP. Once (mostly) debugged, head out to the shop and fire up the 1100. Download the routine from the hub, run/debug and upload the final version to the PP hub for downloading/archiving on the home computer.

    We have Solidworks and access to Unigraphics, but I haven't dipped my toe into either yet. My wife is a UG designer, have sucked her into a few of my projects to get tangent points or a quick sketch.

    I was hesitant to jump into F360 right after they went from the $100,000 limit to $1000. Thought that was the hand writing on the wall. Especially when we have full versions of SW and UG though I'm not certain what UG has for CAM.

    Bruce

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